About the Artist

Ida Mickle was born in San Diego, CA. Having grown up near the beach she has always had an intense love of the ocean and natural environment. She knew that she loved art from a very early age, using the ocean, animals, and nature as her favorite subjects. She worked in many mediums and enjoyed learning how they all worked separately as well as together. These included pen & ink, watercolor, wood, stained glass, jewelry, plus a host of other crafts. For many years her favorite medium was pen & ink and her favorite subjects were marine mammals and birds.

Ida loves working with her hands, however for a time her art was set aside while she pursued a career and took care of her home in San Diego. During this period, working with her hands meant mostly mending fences and gardening. One day while working at her office job, a coworker said "Ida you should paint some of your work on our walls". Ida had never painted a mural before, but after getting approval from her boss she took up the challenge. This became the first of many murals that she would accomplish. Ida's talented cousin Sandy Schrosbree soon joined her and together they painted numerous large murals in a San Diego hospital, as well as a high school and several businesses.

Ida now lives on the beautiful island of Kauai with her husband and is finally enjoying the freedom to pursue her lifelong passion of painting full time. Ida also has an intense love for gardening and uses many of her own plants and flowers for her paintings. She loves to meander thru the yard in search of new subjects for her next painting. Ida's subject matter ranges from botanicals to landscapes and seascapes. Here on Kauai she continues her love for art where she is surrounded with an abundance of natural beauty and endless inspiration. The majestic mountains, the scents, the ever-changing colors and motions of the ocean and clouds, and the way the light reflects off leaves and flowers after a rainfall fill her with endless inspiration. "There is so much intensity and vibrancy of color here". Today Ida's favorite medium is oils which she uses to capture these colors and moments in her paintings.

Ida thanks you for viewing her website and hopes that you enjoy her paintings.